﻿62 



EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT 



elfectively than when they have to seek individuals hidden here and 

 there in rank grass ; so that we cease to wonder at the almost total 

 annihilation of the species the year following its advent in such 

 numbers. Moreover, while a certain amount of moisture is most con- 

 genial to them, excessive rains and storms such as we had last sum- 

 mer, and such as are likely to occur after excessively dry years, must 

 inevitably destroy large numbers — floating many away into rivers, and 

 causing others to rot on and in the ground. Man, too, in his warfare 

 with them on such occasions, destroys great quantities ; and, finally, 

 only the vast armies on our cultivated lands disappear so suddenly, 

 numbers remain unobserved in unfrequented and uncultivated grass 

 land. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



" Hogs, chickens and turkeys revel in the juicy carcasses of the 

 worms, and sometimes to such an extent that, as I am informed by 

 Mr. T. K. Allen, of Allenton, the 

 former occasionally die in conse- 

 quence, and the latter have been 

 known to lay eggs in which the 

 parts naturally white, would be 

 green when cooked. Small birds, 

 of various kinds,* and toads and 

 frogs also, come in for their share 

 of this dainty food ; while the 

 worms, when hard pushed, will 

 even devour each other." 



A large number of predaceous beetles gather around and about 

 the travelling hordes and greedily prey upon them. Ten different 

 [Fig. 30.] species have been ^Fig. si.i 



detected by myself 

 and others in this 

 work,f some of the 

 principal of which 

 are herewith illus- 

 trated. The worms 

 have also an un- 

 '^ \ usual number of 

 calosoma calidum, with iiuva. ^^ue parasite s. 



They never abound or travel from one field 

 to another, but they are accompanied by a 



Pasimachus elongatds. 



Hahpalos CALIGLN'O- 

 sus. 



Caloso-ma scrutator. 



• The Kice Bunting (Doliconyx orizivora) more particularly has been observed to feed upon them. 



t Cicindela repanda Dej., Elaphrus ruscoriws Say, Calosoma externum S^Y , C. Scrutator (Fabr), 

 C. calidum (Fabr.), C. Wilcoxi Lcc , Pasimachus eloiujalus Lcc, Amara augustala Sa^ , Uarpalus caa- 

 ginosus (Fabr.), II. pcnnsylvanicus (Ueg.) 



